FG denies monitoring phone conversations of Nigerians, social media activity

The Federal Government has described as false information on the social media that under a Ministry of Interior Regulation, phone calls and social media post by the citizens are to be monitored and recorded.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the development as another example of disinformation permeating the media space, especially the social media.

The minister said the intention of those behind the false news is to give the impression that the Federal Government was stifling freedom of speech, which is not the case.

“There is no regulation, old or new, from the Ministry of Interior or any Federal Government agency requiring the recording of all calls or the monitoring of social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter or Facebook. We are, therefore, using this medium to inform all Nigerians that what is being circulated in this regard is totally false and should be disregarded.

‘’We thank all Nigerians, who have reached out to us in an effort to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of this information, which is now being widely circulated on the social media. This is the best way to ensure that the purveyors of false news do not dominate our media space,’’ he said.